5/30/2007 @ 12:01AM

In Pictures: World's Most Endangered Destinations

Tibet

Threat: Development

Chosen by: Getty Conservation Institute

One of the biggest threats to cultural heritage is development, says Kecia Fong, a conservator for the Getty Conservation Institute. The Himalayas and sacred religious sites such as Drepung Monastery in Lhasa are being disrupted by mainland Chinese moving in and opening businesses, thereby increasing tourism. A new luxury train on the 1,215-mile Qinghai-Tibet Railway between China and Tibet is expected to debut at the end of this year.